Boxing
5 fights we would like to see in boxing in 2026
Published
4 months agoon
The start of each recent boxing year brings with it a familiar mix of hopes, expectations and lists. Twelve months during which the sport will be praised, criticized, analyzed and sometimes ridiculed – but no matter how much it tests our patience, we always come back for more.
However, the action in the ring rarely disappoints. Just in January, there was a real superfight in which Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson rolled the dice against each other. And while this period in the calendar is often associated with tranquil nights and algorithm-driven entertainment, fighting game fans have much more to look forward to beyond the opening weeks.
What awaits us when January comes to an end? At Boxing News, we have scanned the divisions and selected five fights that we not only want to see, but we believe the sport desperately needs. We start in one of boxing’s most dynamic strongholds: Japan.
Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani – Undisputed super bantamweight title
December 27, 2025 was supposed to whet your appetite. Two separate fights designed to spice up an all-Japan superfight that has been years in the making. Inoue duly outclassed David Picasso and Nakatani left Riyad elated, having maintained his undefeated record after defeating Sebastian Hernandez.
The aftermath widened perceived gaps. Inoue remains the finished article; Nakatani, still adjusting to the super bantamweight division, suddenly looks more like a challenger than an equal. Does this blunt the plot? Not remotely. With May and the Tokyo Dome – potentially in front of 50,000 fans – the likely setting, it’s the kind of occasion that puts sports on hold. The reigning superpower against the man who dares to take the throne.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz – super welterweight
Boxing has reached a point where risk is no longer a sullied word and unbroken records are becoming increasingly redundant. Riyad’s season has helped change that attitude, but this fight still has to happen. Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya must find common ground and fight in a decisive 154-pound competition.
Ennis’s speed, accuracy and fluidity versus Ortiz’s relentless pressure and powerful power was a matchup worthy of division history. It elevates the winner to the place every elite fighter desires. The signals were mixed. They can’t let this become another great fight that got out of boxing’s control.
Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev III – featherlight heavyweight unification
A competition in which they are tied at one apiece needs to be resolved – especially when neither competitor has shown significant decline. Bivol and Beterbiev proved in two fights that year-end classics do not have to be reckless wars. Instead, their contrasting styles produced elite-level tension and technical excellence.
Almost a year has passed since then Bivol’s redemptionthe surgery kept him inactive, and Beterbiev hopes that the rest allowed him to fully recover. Despite David Benavidez’s ambitions, Bivol and Beterbiev remain the two best featherlight heavyweights. Boxing needs a rubber match.
Hamzah Sheeraz vs Christian Mbilli – WBC super middleweight title
With the 168-pound division still in flux following Terence Crawford’s retirement, the division is waiting for a recent standard-bearer. Canelo Alvarez may still hold that status, but challengers like Sheeraz and Mbilli could announce themselves by winning their first world title.
The WBC ordered this fight – and for good reason. Sheeraz delivers size, reach and growing authority; Mbilli offers unrelenting performance and constant pressure. Sheeraz looked deadly against Edgar Berlanga, while Mbilli was lucky to draw against Lester Martinez. The styles promise intensity, energetic fluctuations and real danger.
Anthony Olascuaga vs Masamichi Yabuki – flyweight unification
Japanese boxing was one of the sport’s biggest success stories in 2025, with Olascuaga and Yabuki playing key roles in that growth. Both have developed through activity, ability and momentum to establish themselves as two of the most unsafe fighters in the division.
Aggressive, fan-friendly and heated, their styles feel tailor-made. Olascuaga’s star continues to rise and Yabuki is recovering from his loss to Kenshiro in 2022. The time is perfect. This has all the makings of a fight of the year contender.
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Boxing
Jared Anderson withdraws from May 9 fight with a torn bicep
Published
1 hour agoon
April 26, 2026
Ring Magazine reports that Anderson withdrew from his fight with Solomon Dacres after suffering a bicep injury. The 10-round heavyweight bout was scheduled for Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Anderson (18-1, 15 KO) was looking for another step back after a knockout loss to Martin Bakole in 2024. Instead, the 26-year-old now faces another delay at a bad time in his career.
The fight at Dacres was not a world-class test, but it had value. Anderson needed rounds, activity and a consistent win on a major heavyweight card. Now that’s gone, and the injury gives critics more room to question where his career is headed.
The reaction from boxing fans was fierce, with several responses pointing out Anderson’s injury history and durability. Some questioned whether his body would hold up in the heavyweight division. Others suggested he might have to consider considering the cruiserweight division if physical problems persist.
It may be tough, but it’s the kind of failure that changes the way you view your prospect. Anderson still has talent, but he’s no longer talked about as a pure future heavyweight star. Now he’s trying to prove he can stay vigorous long enough to rebuild.
Moving to Queensberry and fighting in the UK seemed like a desperate attempt to find a novel environment that could boost his confidence. But this bicep injury is a disaster because it adds another year of rust to a psyche that already looked feeble. You won’t rebuild your self-confidence at the gym.
A torn bicep effectively means Jared Anderson’s career will be in frigid storage until the end of 2026. Recovery from this type of surgery usually takes six to nine months before a player can even think about hitting a full-power shot with that hand.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most significant fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Boxing
Mike Tyson is nearing the end of his career at the age of 60 after Mayweather’s snubs and injuries
Published
3 hours agoon
April 26, 2026
Mike Tyson is nearing the end of his career as Floyd Mayweather’s recent cancellation of an exhibition may have put the final nail in the coffin.
Tyson’s Hall of Fame tenure, which incredibly extended at the age of 57 against Jake Paul in 2024, was approaching his final appearance against Mayweather.
The fight had been talked about for months as if it had actually happened. A date was set, attention was paid, but the reality never lived up to the headlines as the proposed event failed to advance beyond early discussion and quietly faded away.
There was a lack of explanation, space and real emphasis. In the case of a Floyd Mayweather event, this is usually the biggest prize.
When Mayweather wants a fight, he promotes it. This time he didn’t.
Instead, Mayweather moved on. His confirmed return against Mike Zambidis in Athens made it clear what his focus was, leaving the Tyson fight on the sidelines – most likely for good.
Time and injuries
Time has also caught up with this idea.
Tyson will turn 60 in June, and his next fights will be a huge surprise considering everything that has already happened.
He almost died when Paul’s fight was postponed from April to November two years ago, which Tyson himself later detailed after an in-flight medical emergency left the former champion fighting for his life.
That alone should be a warning.
Combine that with previous back surgery, appearing in a cast on his arm just last month, and the massive amounts of marijuana Mike is consuming, and another comeback seems unthinkable.
Tyson has been through a lot, but it’s a completely different situation for the hard-hitting Modern Yorker.
The last chapter
The Mayweather fight was the one that could have sent Mike flying with fanfare.
It had the name, the curiosity and the setting that could allow Tyson to make one last appearance without everything that comes with a full comeback.
Now that’s gone and it looks like his fight with Paul is all she wrote.
World Boxing News has already reported that Tyson’s former rival, Oliver McCall, is continuing to fight at the age of 61, but Tyson was never that type of fighter.
If he does not regain full health in the coming months, boxing fans will likely see the last of the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.
At this point, the opportunity has passed and nothing else on the table carries the same weight.
Mainly because it feels like Mike Tyson’s swan song has already happened.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, published exclusive international performances and reported on in-ring performances. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.
Boxing
Naoya Inoue Offered Another Super Fight If He Beats Nakatani: ‘I’m Ready Anytime’
Published
3 hours agoon
April 26, 2026
Naoya Inoue received another career-defining challenge before she even stepped into the ring against Junto Nakatani.
First and foremost, “The Monster” must defend his undisputed super bantamweight crown against Nakatani on May 2, headlining the blockbuster Japanese event at the Tokyo Dome.
This will mark Inoue’s seventh defense of his four major 122-pound titles, and the uncompromising feeling has been considered the top star of the two-pound-for-pound division.
The 33-year-old’s most notable victories came against the likes of Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas, who both defeated the undisputed two-division champion but were ultimately stopped in rounds six and eight, respectively.
Meanwhile, Nakatani is widely considered to be Inoue’s toughest opponent to date, even though the three-division world champion lost debatable points of victory over Sebastian Hernandez in December last year.
However, to be fair, this was his first appearance at 122 pounds and many expected the 28-year-old to raise his level against Inoue.
However, in a world where Inoue is winning, it is becoming more and more likely that he will consider a potential fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
The unified super flyweight champion will move up to 118 pounds for his next fight, where he will face WBA champion Antonio Vargas on June 13.
If this next assignment is successful, Rodriguez will talk about it Ring Magazine that he will jump up another weight class to face Inoue.
“I’m ready at any time. If I was offered this fight right now, I would definitely accept it.”
Although Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed initial talks about the fight, there is equally a chance that “Bam” will drop down to 115 pounds in pursuit of undisputed glory.
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